Inspiring even 15 years later - Jimmy V

I recently ran across this video of Jim Valvano accepting the Arthur Ashe Award at the ESPY's in 1993. It was just a few short months before he passed away from cancer. I remember watching it then and it's still as moving and inspirational now 15 years later. I hope you feel the same way...

Dan

Sorry for not posting!

Boy...it's been a long time since I last posted. My apologies. I've been very busy with my business and Rotary Club functions. As chair of our Rotary auction committee, I feel like I'm once again a coach. I spend a great deal of time extolling, ranting, raving, begging, and motivating members to get their donations in. I realize now it's all part of being a team.

Whatever your goals in life, your education as a coach will help you in whatever you do. Business is all about teamwork, regardless of your situation. For instance, I have no employees, but the members of my team are my Rotary friends. Working together as a team wins on the court, the field, or in business.

How well does your team work together? It's your role to make sure they all communicate, respect each other, and work towards a common goal. I guess the same can be said for my Rotary club, too! Seems like I'm back on the sideline again. I hope I have a great halftime locker room speech!

Dan

P.S. If you'd like to contribute and support our Rotary club auction, visit our web site and bid early and often - http://poulsborotary.cmarket.com/. Thanks for your help.

The Last Lecture

I just received an e-mail from a good friend who sent this You Tube video out. You need to see it. I had heard the name Dr. Randy Pausch from my friend Doug Petch, but I didn't know why he mentioned him. I should have asked.

Want to get out of the blues? Want to be energized? Need a pick me up on life or just your day?

Watch this video by clicking here -

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_tIyt8oSLVs

We do have a choice in how we approach life...thanks for the reminder!

Dan

Happy Valentines Day

Last night, I spent a good portion of my evening working on my Rotary Auction project as I'm the chair of the committee. I came upstairs, bleery-eyed after a couple of hours of working...ready to hit the stack.

My wife Barb was sitting on the coach waiting for me and asked, "Dan, do you know what tomorrow is?"

My reply - "Thursday."

Her facetious response was fitting - "Boy, did I marry the most romantic guy!"

Whoops.

Happy Valentines Day to everyone, especially Barb!

Dan

P.S. Speaking of my auction, you can help support our cause regardless of where you live. We are doing an online auction starting March 4 and running through April 18. To donate an item or register to bid, go to http://poulsborotary.cmarket.com. Help us make a difference in the lives of millions.

The General Retires

Any of you who have been a basketball coach respect Bob Knight for his knowledge. You may not care for all his methods , but his genius is unquestionable. You probably have heard that Knight stepped down yesterday after 42 years as a head coach at Army, Indiana, and Texas Tech. The number of athletes and coaches he has influenced is enormous, assuredly including people he never met. In faxct, I can consider myself one of them.

Certainly, his tactics, antics, and methods were not models for me. His attention to detail, knowledge, and dedication to the game were. His passion for discipline was also important. Even though it may not always be acceptable, you will find his players at every stage intensely loyal to him.

The game will miss him for his personality, his passion, and his skill. College basketball...in fact basketball as a whole...is better off because of him. Happy retirement Coach.

Dan

Game On!

Funny how life works out sometimes, isn't it? The New England Patriots were crowned the best team in the league...the best team of the decade...maybe even the best team EVER midway through the season. They had the golden boy, Tom Brady. They had the revitalized all-pro Randy Moss. They had the genius coach wearing the ugly hoodie. Their destiny would be 19-0 and their claim to the greatest team ever was inevitable.

The only problem was that no one bothered to tell the New York Giants. Even if they did, it wouldn't have mattered. The Giants were a team that started 0-2. The coach was on the hot seat. The quarterback couldn't lead. They couldn't play as a team.

As it turned out, all those assumptions were wrong and they proved themselves the best team in the world on Sunday. Why? Becasue more than the Patriots, they played as a team. They overcame adversity. They didn't listen to their critics. They believed in themselves when no one else would. In the end, they stand on top of the mountains as champions.

What about you? Does your team face adversity? How does it respond? How do you respond? You don't have to be an NFL team to show true character and great teamwork. You don't even have to win the Lombardi Trophy to walk away as a winner. To play the game and live your life as a true champion, you must exhibit all the traits that the Giants showed the world last night - teamwork, passion, confidence, and commitment. And...as Nike so concisely says, "Leave Nothing"!

Dan

Protect Yourself from Liability

Yesterday, I was honored to be a keynote speaker at the Washington State Football Coaches Association convention in Bellevue. I had the opportunity to talk with many coaches and their concern for liability issues is a major issue for them.

As a former basketball coach, I was stunned with the amount of extra work football coaches must do when it comes to equipment. I sat in on a couple of sessions specifically to learn more about the maintenance of helmets, and how important constant fitting is throughout the year. If you are a football coach, did you know that after your initial fitting for a kid at the start of the season, you need to re-fit within 3 days? The reason is actually very simple. As the kid gets into shape, he will lose some fat from his forehead and the chance that the fitting is no longer good is is very high. Not only that, he may go get a haircut because it's so hot and that changes fitting, too.

The bottom line was that helmet fitting must be an ongoing function for a coach throughout the season.

Dan

P.S. That's a good reason to go to conferences like this one. You never quit learning unless you don't make important educational opportunities like this a priority. Kudos to the association for an excellent event.